Being engaged is the basis of a successful workforce, a workforce who is interested, passionate and motivated. Having an engaged team is a dream a lot of companies wish would come true. In fact, according to a Perk Box survey, 69% of employees are suffering low satisfaction from low productivity and general workplace satisfaction.

What is disengagement?

Have you ever though someone in your team seems as though they are on autopilot? – they seem low-key or even lazy, unexcited and unpassionate about what they do? – this may not be a sign of laziness but a sign of disengagement. It’s not their fault but they are failing to motivate themselves.

Disengagement can be caused by several things including being in the wrong position, not enjoying the company they work for or not enjoying the work they are currently doing. It’s not just the individual you need to worry about – negative energy is powerful enough to take down a whole team.

Here are some signs someone is disengaged…

1. They have no challenges

Don’t be fooled into thinking achievement means a person is engaged. Lack of challenge can be a reason why someone is disengaged.

2. Break taking

How often does someone get a coffee, go to the loo or go for a cigarette? And how long are they taking to do these things? They might need all these things, or they might be wasting time because they would rather be doing anything else than sitting at their desk. Be conscious of how much time people are spending away from their desks and compare it with job performance and engagement – there are always changes you can make.

3. No celebrations or excitement

People should feel excited about the good things that happen at work. A deal or an achievement should excite them and encourage them to work towards the next achievement. If they have achieved something great and don’t feel satisfied with their achievement it could be a sign of disengagement.

4. Lack of interest

Engaged employees are excited about your industry and what there is to learn about it. Are they sharing articles, and do they share their knowledge with their co-workers? If your team don’t share the same enthusiasm as you do you need to work on their engagement.

Worried about how engaged your team is? Take Perk box’s disengagement calculator (https://www.perkbox.com/uk/resources/calculator).

Whether you have a disengaged team or not there is always room for improvement…

- Make the right choices when recruiting

Take the right steps when recruiting and don’t cut corners. If you are struggling to attract the right people call upon experts to help you – executive recruitment firms have the knowledge and the experience to assist you in areas which are difficult to hire.

- Improve your workplace support network

Having a support network within work is very important. People spend a lot of time at work so having this network is crucial. Having a support network can encourage engagement as people are more likely to want to be there and work alongside people who they know care for them.

- Establish what your company believes in

You need to know what your company believes in and the visions and goals it is aspiring to. By sharing these vision and goals you are strengthening your company brand and letting people know the goals which everyone should work towards. It’s not enough to have them simply listed on your wall – you need to action them! By having team goals and beliefs you are encouraging people to engage with the company together.